On route to Vancouver, Olympic torch in Niagara

Canadians everywhere are becoming part of Olympic torch relay history during the torches journey across the country to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics opening ceremonies on Feb. 12.
The torch is stopping in 200 communities during its journey, including St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls, making it the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.
Local torchbearers will join the over 12,000 Canadians who have, or in the last stretch of the relay will, carry the flame during its 45,000 kilometer journey.
The list includes Holy Cross teacher Michael Accursi, GM employee and Community Living St. Catharines board president Rick Jones, chef and TV personality Anna Olson, Brock University biomedical science student Sabrina Parrotta, Niagara-on-the-Lake artist Trisha Romance and Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Catharines-Thorold and District employee Colleen Walker.
Another Brock student, Shelby Munro, was chosen to run in the area of Trois Rivieres, Que. near her hometown of Cornwall, Ont.
The last day of exams is Dec. 22, meaning many students may be done first semester and on their way home for the holidays well before the olympic torch heads this way.
But for those able to attend, it will be a once in a lifetime event.
"The relay itself is more of a community builder and gets everyone involved in the Olympic celebration," said PJ Aucoin, a physical education student at Brock University, who said he will definitely be attending the event, as exams commit him to staying in the area. "I would say the real meaning is just the sense of tradition. The Olympic flame and torch run is something that has been a part of the Olympics forever and to have that sense of history in your own backyard is unreal.
"It represents more then just the games to me, it represents an event that has broken language barriers, and united countries with vast differences. It's just a great feeling to have this sense of history in your own country and see the flame travel through your neighborhood knowing the effects that its had on the world."
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay began in Victoria B.C. on Oct. 30, and will pass through the area on day 52 and 53 of the 106-day trip across Canada.
On Dec. 20 it will travel from Hamilton and pass through Stoney Creek, Fruitland, Winona, Grimsby, Beamsville, Jordan, St. Catharines, Thorold, Virgil, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Queenston and Niagara Falls. The next day the torch will continue its journey through Chippawa, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Welland, Fonthill, Dunville, Cayuga, Caledonia, Six Nations and Brantford.
The torch relay will pause in St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls for community torch celebrations, a party that celebrates the torch and the Olympics.
This week the relay is working its way through Quebec and will cross over to Ontario on Dec. 12 when it visits Ottawa. It will work its way across Northern Ontario until Dec. 17 when it comes back down to Toronto.
On Dec. 18, it will leave Toronto and pass through much of the GTA - continuing in this region on Dec. 19 until it arrives in the Niagara Region on Dec. 20.